Performance Factor

Taking the guesswork out of buying a fly rod by mail order.

If you anchor the butt section of say a 9' 6" # 6 rod, and hang a weight (let's say 142grams or 5ozs.) from the tip and then examine the curve which the rod takes - what does it tell you? Does it tell you that the rod has a more pronounced bend in the tip (middle to tip)? Or does it have a bend in the middle (medium)? Or does it show a pronounced bend in the butt (butt action)? Or does it have a combination of all these. How do you describe that combination with our simple system which is entirely subjective - ''Middle to tip occasionally medium with a leaning towards the butt''?

Then if you add into the equation that the diameter and the thickness of the tube can be varied at any point, this would change the perceived curve of the rod. Then throw into the equation the different elasticities of the carbon fibre materials which could be used i.e. stiff, moderate-stiff, less-stiff etc (these are layman's descriptions for modulus of elasticity), and that these can be varied and mixed throughout the rod length, then the subject gets even more complicated. For instance it is possible to use a very low-modulus (less stiff) carbon-fibre to come up with exactly the same curve under the 5oz load, as a rod using extra-high-modulus (very stiff) carbon-fibre. One would be considerably thicker than the other and an entirely different diameter but strictly speaking the action would be the same (ie the curve they describe) - but the recovery rate (and by this I mean the time taken from the release of the load from the tip to the unloaded position) would be entirely different.The extra-high-modulus would be quicker every time. So it is a very incomplete and unsatisfactory system to label a rod as middle-to-tip, or medium action etc without taking into account the taper and the type of material used in the construction.

My Performance Factor allies a description of the curve that the rod takes under load to a rating of how fast the rod takes to recover from this load. This is measured in my workshop using the bare blank and a further measurement is taken once the blank is fitted with guides and the rod finished. The rod is then cast with a fixed length of accurately rated lines of the correct grain AFTM weights. I then give the rod a general casting/fishing workout before giving it its final Performance Rating figures. Using this system my customers have a much more accurate idea of how a rod from my production range will perform and this is particularly important when the majority of my rods are sold mail-order without the customer actually handling the rod. This of course is not entirely fool- proof and the less experienced you are as a fly fisher the more you have to take on trust. Undoubtedly however this does go a long way to taking the guesswork out of buying a rod mail order. Rod purchases can be made with confidence because you then have a mental image of the rods general performance and feel.

Please do not be intimidated if you are a novice, I am more than happy to offer advice by phone (best) or email and explain rod performance to you. Please take a moment to read my line rating notes below.

I have for the last 27 years made my sole income from rod buiding, with many many satisfied return customers who have made multiple purchases.

The continued success of my business relies on you being entirely happy with your choice of rod.

Performance Factor & Custom rods.

This system also gives customers the opportunity to discuss the modification of production tapers and action to construct a custom-rod to their ideal specifications - the Performance Factor gives us both the benchmark from which to develop a rod to meet their needs. There are very few if any rodmakers in the world offering a true custom service in carbon fibre.